When I was a child, I would always see ads for Kodak products around the Christmas holidays. Disneyland and Kodak, was a theme that I will never forget, as well as all the Christmas Specials that we would view and watch on television, sponsored by Kodak. And I could not wait to see the new Christmas Kodak camera gift packs.

The magazines that my parents would read, like Life, Home and Garden, and the New Yorker, just to name a few, carried the huge Kodak ads during the Christmas season. Reminded us to purchase film or a new camera for the up coming events.

I miss the golden years of Kodak, the 1940's. 50's, 60's, 70's, and the 1980's. Kodak gave me pictures of my buddies in Vietnam, my children, and my beautiful young first wife. I often view the pictures of past family members and friends, and my old school days, all taken with Kodak film, keeping my memories of them and those wonderful times alive.

I knew that people would come and go, but I thought that Kodak would last forever, in a world of magic, that took place in the dark. I will miss their presents during the holidays.

Kodak went from being one of the best companies in history to being one of the most inept. It's sickening. They are so stupid.....there are not adequate words to describe the magnitude of their stupidity....

Kenny and Ornello:
This is probably an old saw but:
Are the people who sit in positions of power today, as socially conscious today as those of, say, twenty or thirty years ago. People of my parent's era (the thirties, forties)probably said the same thing about the younger generations. But who can deny the benefits of Medicare, civil rights, voting rights, etc. In some ways, two steps forward, one step back. Generalizations, I know, but generalizations are generally right.
Jim

I sent an email to the seller, asking about my purchase, and he stated that he was snowed in and could not ship it. It is now 5 days since the auction, which I paid right away. And even still, it is not shipped. Tomorrow if it is not shipped by 12 noon, I will flash an email off to E-bay.

I got on the webcam map network, to check the weather in that area for those 5 days, and there was not enough snow fall to be class a storm.

And you are right, he should have set the budding higher.

One issue that is getting all of us buyers upset, is the prices that these sellers are requesting. They are listing everything as a vintage collector item, when in fact, the large sum of us are users of the cameras. The cameras will not be sitting in a glass case collecting dust and sunshine.

Buyers are no longer willing to be shafted by the sellers on these items. So we keep the budding low, or move on and avoid the higher price items. Some of the prices being requested for MK2 to M4 Leicas are so over priced, it is a nightmare. Not to mention MK2 and MK3 Nikons and Cannons.

Crown Graphics which sold for $149- $250.00 dollars new, in the 1940's and 50's, some sellers are requesting $400.00 to $800.00 dollars. I understand making a profit, but blowing holes in the buyers pockets, is not the way to go.

Cameras are a different bleed. Collectors of old cars can get or make parts for their collectibles, and still operate them. Owners of old cameras are lost without the film, which make the camera useless, if you are unable to get the film; unless you can make your own.

Thank You

KennyE

Last edited by KennyE on Fri Dec 13, 2013 6:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

pirateoversixty wrote:Kenny and Ornello:
This is probably an old saw but:
Are the people who sit in positions of power today, as socially conscious today as those of, say, twenty or thirty years ago. People of my parent's era (the thirties, forties)probably said the same thing about the younger generations. But who can deny the benefits of Medicare, civil rights, voting rights, etc. In some ways, two steps forward, one step back. Generalizations, I know, but generalizations are generally right.
Jim

Jim...,

No, they are not "socially conscious" today as they were 40, 50, or 60 years ago. Being a millionaire was a big deal back then. Today, it is being a "billionaire".

Today it is all about the Bank. How much money one has. It is, bigger, the better, more grandeur.

Social issues do not made money, in the eyes of today's Generation. It is a burden that they have no time for, in their busy "smartphone" world. Business Schools today, teach cut throat economics. Leave no man standing and no dollar uncounted.

That is why the newer generations have set out to destroy and bypass traditions. Because they feel it is a burden that they do not want to be saddled with. A code of conduct, has no place in their money take all world. Many of the old famous companies in America are gone today, because so many of the children of those company's founders, merely sold off the company and took the money and ran. To live the life of the "rich and famous". No 9 to 5 grind for those guys and dolls.

pirateoversixty wrote:Kenny and Ornello:
This is probably an old saw but:
Are the people who sit in positions of power today, as socially conscious today as those of, say, twenty or thirty years ago. People of my parent's era (the thirties, forties)probably said the same thing about the younger generations. But who can deny the benefits of Medicare, civil rights, voting rights, etc. In some ways, two steps forward, one step back. Generalizations, I know, but generalizations are generally right.
Jim

I don't think that is true. It is simply a lack of perspective. When businessmen don't understand their own business, it is truly sad. I am curious how many Kodak "executives" ever even set foot in a camera shop. They are all theory and demographics, MBAs who care only about their stock portfolio and their position in the hierarchy. They don't have the faintest idea how customers behave or what drives purchases. People who used Kodachrome were rather upset with the changed color palate of the 1974 revised Kodachrome films. Granted Kodachrome 64 was a big improvement over Kodachrome-X (though the roll-out was a disaster, with very insufficiently ripened film that produced a greenish cast); but Kodachrome 25 was not a big improvement over Kodachrome II. Kodachrome 25 was too cold for my taste, and when you consider the film's speed limited it to the bright times of the day, when the light is cooler, it made no sense. Does anyone remember the Lumiere E-6 films? Another disaster!

Kodak kept making smaller and cheaper film formats (126, 110, etc.) instead of concentrating on quality. You should know, though, that the C-41 process was part of the 110 project. C-22 films were too soft and grainy to give sufficient quality in 110. E-6 was an outgrowth of C-41 too.

Kodak introduced Kodachrome-X, Ektachrome-X, and Kodacolor-X in 1964 along with the 126 format.

I open a case against the seller at E-bay, and the a-hole is refunding me the money. He chose to keep the camera, and re-auction it off again, since he did not get the amount he wanted for it. So in effect, I have discovered that E-bay is indeed not a true auction.

KennyE wrote:I open a case against the seller at E-bay, and the a-hole is refunding me the money. He chose to keep the camera, and re-auction it off again, since he did not get the amount he wanted for it. So in effect, I have discovered that E-bay is indeed not a true auction.

I feel that $126.78, is a good price for a Rolliflex.

Thank You

KennyE

Try World of Used Photography. A friend of mine owns it. He has all kinds of vintage cameras.